Lancaster University scientists are celebrating a major breakthrough with a revolutionary new drug that could prevent the early stages of Alzheimer’s for thousands of people worldwide.

The news, announced during Dementia Awareness Week From May 17-23, means that the drug will now be tested on humans.

It is encouraging that our drug is being taken forward and will be tested on humans

Professor David Allsop

Lancaster University has filed a patent application and the drug will be progressing into clinical trials run by the North West research company MAC Clinical Research.

If it passes regulatory hurdles, the ultimate aim is to give the drug to people with mild symptoms of memory loss.

Professor David Allsop who developed the drug alongside Dr Mark Taylor, from the Faculty of Health and Medicine, said: “It is encouraging that our drug is being taken forward and will be tested on humans.”

The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. It begins when a protein called beta-amyloid forms senile plaques that start to clump together in the brain, damaging nerve cells and leading to memory loss and confusion.

In laboratory tests, Prof Allsop and Dr Taylor showed how their drug reduces the number of these senile plaques, and the amount of brain inflammation and oxidative damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Prof Allsop, who was the first scientist to isolate senile plaques from the human brain, said: “Many people who are mildly forgetful may go on to develop the disease because senile plaques start forming years before any symptoms manifest themselves.

“The ultimate aim is to give the drug at that stage, to stop any more damage to the brain.”

“With that in mind we are very pleased to begin this exciting partnership with Professor David Allsop, his team and Lancaster University.”

Dr James Pickett, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Society which currently funds the research, said: “There’s a tremendous need for new treatments that can stop the development of dementia in its tracks.

“Trials in people are an essential step in the development of any new drug so it’s really positive to see this promising research being taken forward.

“Alzheimer’s Society will continue to fund drug development research like this to ensure the best new treatments reach the people who desperately need them as soon as possible.”

Other contributing researchers include groups led by Lancaster University’s Professor Christian Hölscher (formerly of Ulster University) and Professor Massimo Masserini at University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy.

Lancaster University launched the Defying Dementia campaign earlier this year, to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and the new drug, and to raise funds for further research. Currently there are about 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers expected to reach over a million by 2021.